Preparations are at an advanced stage for Kenya to host the 14th edition of the East African Community (EAC) Inter-Parliamentary Games in Mombasa, set for December this year.
A Joint Planning Committee led by East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Kanini Kega toured the facilities that will host the games to assess the level of preparedness ahead of the games slated for 6th-18th December.
Some of the facilities earmarked to host the games are the KPA Mbaraki Sports Club, Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa Sports Club, Nyali Golf, Shanzu Teachers Training College, Sheikh Zayed, KPA Highlife, and Mombasa ASK Showground.
Kega said parliaments from all eight EAC member states, including Somalia, will participate in athletics, football, basketball, tug of war, PWD darts, and golf.
“We are here as a preparatory team to check on the preparedness of Kenya to host the 14th International Parliamentary Games, which will be held here in Mombasa. This is a rotational function because last year we were in Kigali, Rwanda, and the performance was superb. “The essence of these inter-parliamentary games is not just to compete against each other. It is about integrating our people. We are one people living within the EAC, and there is no other better way of integrating our people other than sports,” said Kega.
Over 1500 legislators and assembly personnel are expected to visit Mombasa, Kenya, during the games, which will promote cohesion and togetherness within the EAC region.
They thanked the Governor of Mombasa for infrastructural support for the games.
Kega further challenged Kenya to do better than what the Republic of Rwanda did. “We are happy that the preparedness is to the level that we expected, and we believe it will be much better than last year,” he said.
He further noted that they would like to have many disciplines, but as many countries are grappling with cash flow challenges, the games will remain the same, and more games will be incorporated into future games.
“At the moment, the games that we are participating in are sufficient, but we still believe they should accommodate more people,” said the EALA MP.
He went on: “We need to do more games that are not physical; with the advanced age of MPs, we need to engage in sporting activities that are not physical, like golf, chess, badminton, and table tennis. Those are some of the considerations that will be done, including swimming.”
Kega challenged the national and county governments to invest in sporting facilities as most of the games will be hosted in private facilities.
On his part, Chairman of the National Assembly Bunge Sports Club Vincent Musyoka said preparations are in top gear to make the Kenya edition memorable.
He said the playgrounds need renovation in the future, not when they are set to host events. The security will be enhanced with the County Inspectorate working with the National Police Service.
